Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

"Honestly," Aelric began, placing one hand against his forehead, "I don’t mind you staring at the walls all day long."

His emerald eyes swept across the group as he continued. "However, even though I don’t mind your fascination, I feel like you guys should care."

He paused briefly, letting those words sink in before he spoke further.

"I mean, this is about your breakthrough, isn’t it?"

Hearing him, the eight members of the cohort exchanged glances filled with palpable remorse.

They had to admit that, for a moment there, they had genuinely allowed the splendour of the cavern to carry them away. The sheer magnificence of the walls, coupled with the unimaginable number of Essence Crystals embedded within them, had completely distracted them from the purpose of their journey.

Before they could even attempt to appease Aelric’s exasperation, however, the green-eyed youth continued.

His eyes swept across the widening passage ahead.

"You’re here to break through into the Etheryean Realm, not to establish a mining operation. So I think it’s about time you got your priorities straight."

His gaze shifted toward the luminous clusters adorning the walls.

"Besides, it’s not as though these Essence Crystals are going anywhere. So why don’t you focus on your breakthrough first?"

He gestured deeper into the cavern.

"After that, you can always come back for them."

The group could hear the disappointment mingled with exasperation in his voice.

His tone alone was enough to make them realize that they had, in fact, made several mistakes. Even Regaleon, arguably the most composed and stoic member of the cohort, wore an expression of profound contrition.

Somehow, it felt as though he had made more mistakes today than he had in years.

"Anyways, enough of that." Aelric waved a hand dismissively. Then he turned around and said. "Come on. We don’t have all day."

He began walking.

"Let’s do what we came here for before that pack of Animas comes back."

That final reminder was enough to immediately dispel much of their remaining fascination.

Aelric hadn’t intended the words as a threat; nevertheless, they carried the same grim implication and weight as one.

The Animas were still out there and though they weren’t sure whether they were real or made up by the green-eyed youth, they had to take it seriously. Besides, it isn’t as though Aelric is bored enough to scare them with such made up stories.

In either cases, they still took it seriously.

The members of the cohort exchanged glances once more. But this time, their expressions were filled with awkwardness and embarrassment.

One after another, they reluctantly tore their gazes away from the glittering walls. Even Valmyr, who had been staring at the Essence Crystals with almost palpable avarice, was forced to withdraw his attention.

Without waiting for them to apologize or offer their contrition, Aelric continued forward and the others quickly followed behind him.

Soon, the tunnel filled with countless crystals disappeared behind them as they resumed their journey.

This time, however, nobody stopped to admire the scenery.

Their pace returned to what it had been when they first learned the horrifying truth about the cave’s former inhabitants.

Their steps were hurried and purposeful and their attention remained fixed solely upon the objective that had brought them here.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the tunnel finally began to widen.

The walls that had previously pressed relatively close around them slowly began to pull apart, leaving increasingly more space on either side.

The ceiling also rose gradually, forcing the group to tilt their heads upward.

But it wasn’t merely the rocky formation of the passage that had changed, even the atmosphere had transformed as well.

At first, the difference was subtle.

It was simply a change in the air, something almost imperceptible, like the sensation of stepping across an invisible boundary.

Then it became cooler; not the biting cold of winter nor the refreshing chill of an ocean breeze but a different kind of cold.

The sort that seemed to slip beneath the skin and settle deep within the lungs, carrying with it a strange clarity that made every breath feel unusually invigorating.

More peculiar still was its purity.

There was none of the stale dampness that had accompanied them through the earlier sections of the cave.

Instead, the air carried a faint metallic fragrance mixed with something reminiscent of rain falling upon ancient stone. It smelled of history, mysticism, and of something far older than either.

"Whoa..." Veyrath’s exclamation suddenly broke the silence.

The auburn-haired Alchemist immediately inhaled deeply.

His eyes closed while his nostrils flared as he greedily drew the unfamiliar air into his lungs, inhaling with the desperation of a drowning man who had suddenly discovered a pocket of breathable air beneath the surface.

For several seconds, he simply stood there.

Then he released a long, contented exhale; his chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of his breathing.

When his amber eyes finally opened again, they were filled with surprise and profound contentment.

"What is that?"

Veyrath wasn’t the only one whose expression had undergone a transformation.

The rest of the cohort had reacted similarly, each displaying varying degrees of astonishment.

The moment they felt the strange air, they had instinctively breathed it in. And to their surprise, it was unlike anything they had ever inhaled.

It was true that the atmosphere of the Nether Lands wasn’t exactly renowned for its purity.

Yet even when compared to the relatively clean air of Valoria, this air was on another level.

It was purer, richer, and almost impossibly pristine.

It felt premium, as though it were something reserved exclusively for those who had transcended the limitations of ordinary humanity, specifically for Etheryeans.

The moment they breathed it in, an indescribable sense of rejuvenation spread throughout their bodies.

The tension accumulated during their journey seemed to loosen and the fatigue receded. Their minds became clearer and their bodies also felt lighter.

It was almost as though the air itself possessed the ability to wash away exhaustion and restore vitality.

Aelric noticed their expressions. Then with an amused smirk on his face, he answered.

"That, my friends, is one of the things we came here for."

His words carried an unmistakable air of mystery and anticipation. And that only made them more curious.

"But what is it?" Sylveris pressed.

Her voice carried a mixture of curiosity and breathless impatience.

Despite being neither an Awakener nor an Etheryean, it seemed that her unawakened state did little to diminish the effect the atmosphere had on her.

If anything, the change was even more apparent in her. A rosy hue had spread across her cheeks, while her silver eyes glistened with moisture.

She looked as though every breath filled her with a vitality she had never experienced before.

Aelric noticed her reaction and that only made his smile to become slightly more mysterious.

"You’ll find out soon."

And with that, he said nothing more.

The green-eyed youth simply continued forward until he reached an opening in the cavern.

Without hesitation, he stepped through.

The others exchanged brief glances before quickly following.

Whatever they had just experienced was undoubtedly connected to the very reason Aelric had brought them here.

And judging by the mysterious demeanour that had settled over the green-eyed youth, it was becoming increasingly obvious that they were finally approaching their destination.

The place where their journey would end, and their transformation into Etheryeans would begin...